Page 102 of Sunday Morning
Then we could act like it just happened. (Which it did.)
We could say we didn’t see it coming. (Because we didn’t.)
Five weeks.
We just had to make it five more weeks until Matt left for college.
Isaac pulled into a truck stop just off the interstate ten miles from the exit to Devil’s Head, parking in a spot far away from other vehicles.
“Come here,” he said, removing his seat belt.
I did the same and slid across the seat, straddling his lapwith my arms around his neck. We shared one long kiss after another, each one making us hungrier for the next. When we stopped to catch our breaths, he pressed his forehead to mine.
“Let’s tell them,” he murmured. “Your family. My family. Let’s just fucking tell them.”
I lifted my head. “No. It’s five weeks until Matt leaves. Nothing good will come from telling anyone now.”
“Is it about the money? Your parents paying rent because?—”
“No.” I shook my head. “Well, yes, but that’s not everything. I’m working for your parents this summer. I just don’t want everything to fall apart at once. If we just wait until Matt leaves, he’ll?—”
“Baby, Matt going to school won’t change how he’ll feel about us. How would you react if, a couple of months from now, you found out Matt and Eve had been messing around all summer?”
I scrunched my nose. “She’s sixteen.”
“And he’s eighteen. That’s two years. There’s six between us.”
I shrugged. “I have you, so whatever.” I lied because I couldn’t process how something like that would make me feel, and I didn’t want Isaac to be right.
“But what if you didn’t have me?”
I frowned, which made him grin.
“Fine. I get it. Matt’s not going to like it, but I’d rather he be upset with me in Michigan than upset with me here while I’mworking for your family.I can use the rest of the summer to drop hints that Matt and I might not stay together. And you can start sitting in the front row at church, so my dadsees your commitment to God, and therefore increasing your chances of him finding you worthy of his daughter.”
I knew that was never going to happen.
“And maybe you can spend more time teaching me to play the guitar, but not always in secret. Then Matt and your parents will get used to seeing us together, even if not reallytogether.”
He nodded slowly. “Okay. Butifanyone finds out about this trip, I want you to let me handle it. I’ll deal with my family and yours. Understood?”
“Why—”
Isaac framed my face in his big hands. “Understood?”
I returned a tiny nod.
“Good.” He pecked at my lips. “Now that we have that straight,” he unbuttoned my shorts, “I have one condom left.”
Isaac droppedme off fifteen yards from our driveway with one last kiss. Unfortunately, I had to leave my new clothes, boots, and hat with him so no one at my house would question where I got them. Despite leaving the tangible things behind, I grinned uncontrollably all the way to the front door because the memories we made in three days would stay with me forever.
“Sarah!” My mom ran toward me, hugging me so tightly I choked on my next breath. Dad and my sisters followed her to the front door, all hugging me. My mom, Eve, and Gabby wiped tears from their faces, but my dad blinked his away despite his red eyes.
My heart plummeted into the pit of my stomach. Theyknew. But why were my sisters crying? I wanted to turn around and chase Isaac. Something wasn’t right.
“Hey, um …” I started to panic, but I didn’t want them to see it, so I swallowed hard and plastered on a smile.
“Where have you been?” Mom pressed her palms to my face, releasing a sob.